Are You Listening?
by Ioanne
Summary: “…be my guest and throw my ass to the brig but first you listen what I’ve got to say.” Kara would give anything to get Lee to listen. Well, almost anything. AN: This can be considered as a sequel to my fic Lose A Little, Gain Plenty but you don’t have to


**Are You Listening?**

by Ioanne

_Pairing:Kara / Lee, my favourite couple and my inspiration_

_Summary:"…be my guest and throw my ass to the brig but first you listen what I've got to say." Kara would give anything to get Lee to listen. Well, almost anything._

_Spoilers:Set after Kobol's Last Gleaming Part II_

_A/N:This can be considered as a sequel to my fic Lose A Little, Gain Plenty but you don't have to read it to follow this. Oh yes, feedback is nice, thank you._

Captain Lee Adama was in one of the hangar bay storage rooms making one of his routine inspections. This was actually Chief Tyrol's domain and the CAG was only supposed to get the Chief's regular reports of the inventory but Captain Adama wanted to make the rounds himself too. When the Chief had first caught the Captain wandering around storage rooms with the reports in hand he had actually thrown a fit. It took a moment before the Captain understood that the Chief took his inspection rounds as a vote of no confidence on his inventory skills or worse, as an accusation to him or his crew for deliberately making false reports. It had taken a good while before he could calm the Chief down enough to make him hear the explanation. Almost shyly the Captain had tried to explain that this CAG –business was new to him and he received so many reports on his desk that he barely understood and when he didn't want to look like a CAG who knew absolutely nothing about anything he had made his business to find out what actually was behind those numbers. He knew that many of the reports were just something that the CAG needed to have a copy of and that most of the times he really didn't need the information in them but he wanted to know anyway. That would make him better in understanding how things work and how they are done and knowing that would make him keep his nose out of where it didn't belong. And that would make him a better CAG. Yes, he knew that he could trust the Chief's reports and he really didn't need to make these rounds but he had found them almost therapeutic. He had tried to explain how as the CAG he found it reassuring that he knew where everything was. He wasn't counting the items and checking the Chief's reports, he was just making sure he still knew where everything was and at the same time seeing the empty shelves made the lack of spare parts more pressing in his mind. Finally, the Chief forgave the Captain his intrusion and hadn't commented on it since.

Captain Adama was enjoying his time. The hangar bay was relatively quiet for a change and he took this private time gladly. There hadn't been that many of those lately. The Captain was feeling so relaxed that he was actually humming a little. He was actually feeling happy. Right now, right this moment, life felt good again. His father was doing better and better every day and could be released from Life Station in a few days. It had been a touch and go for what seemed like an eternity but when the Commander had started to heal, he had healed fast. The Commander himself had been ready to leave the infirmary days ago but fortunately Col. Tigh had all but commanded his friend 'not to be an ass and listen to the doctor'. So, his dad was getting better and he was happy about that.

And Starbuck was back. She had been bruised and battered and she had a few cracked ribs and a very sore knee again but she was back. Alive and safe. Officially Captain Adama was still furious with her and had not forgiven her for leaving like that without any warning thus risking her life and the Raider in a foolish and deadly mission. He could not have his pilots pulling stunts like this. He needed to know he could trust all of them 100 or there would be no fighter group of any kind. Lt. Thrace had tried to apologize and explain her actions but he hadn't been ready to listen yet. He would be in time and he would understand and forgive her, he knew that already. He just wanted her to understand how much it had hurt him to watch her abandon the fleet and to realise that she hadn't trusted him enough to even tell where she was going and why, even if only right before her jump. So angry was the official face he showed to everybody. Unofficially, he was just happy that she was back and in his life.

And he was happy that he had got a new and already trained Raptor pilot with Lt. Agathon's miraculous return to Galactica. Granted, he had also lost a pilot in Lt. Valerii who, as a certified cylon, was kept in a secured cell in a totally different part of Galactica than her copy, the cylon Starbuck and Helo had brought with them from Caprica. Never the less, Helo's return had boosted the ship's morale, especially among the pilots. Somehow knowing that Helo had survived in the cylon occupied Caprica made everybody believe that if one man could survive a planet full of cylons then the fleet could also have a fighting chance of survival. With the President's assurance that everything was fine again between the government and the military and the quick-spreading news of Lt. Agathon's miraculous return the whole fleet was feeling hopeful again.

There was one more thing that made Captain Adama feel happy. They had finally received news that the team on Kobol had been located and a rescue team had already been sent. The cylon base ship was destroyed and now the main thing was to get their people back to Galactica and get the injured to Life Station. There would be time to explore the planet later and to find out if the Arrow of Apollo actually was worth Starbuck's ribs. For the President's sake he really truly hoped it would be. The Captain was especially happy that Chief Tyrol had been informed to be okay. Galactica would be lost without him.

Of course thinking about the team on Kobol raised the question about Vice President Baltar. Dr. Baltar the cylon expert, creator of the great cylon detector that had ruled Lt. Valerii as 100 human. They had checked if Lt. Valerii's test had been completed and found out the results. So the question now was whether the detector was completely useless or if Dr. Baltar had rigged the results. Either way, the 'good' doctor had some serious explaining to do. But Captain Adama didn't want to think about Dr. Baltar because that lead to a completely different direction of thought and he wanted to stay happy now. So he just continued his inspection and concentrated on waiting for the rescue team to return.

He was at the farthest corner of the storage room when he suddenly heard a thump when the storage room door closed. He turned around to yell at whoever had closed the door that he was there so there was no need to close the door but before he could make a sound he found himself lying on his back on the floor and a blonde whirlwind sitting on his chest and keeping his arms and legs pinned to the floor.

"What the…. Starbuck?"

"Just shut up Lee and listen, ok"

"What are you doing? Let me go, right now!"

"Nope, not a chance. I'm going to keep you here until you listen so stop fidgeting so I don't have to make this painful."

"It already IS painful! My arms are going numb and I can't breathe properly!"

"Okay then, stop fidgeting so I don't have to make this MORE painful. Are you listening?"

"What?"

"I asked are you listening."

"Get off of me Lt. or your next destination will be the brig" Lee growled.

Kara raised her eyebrows and eyed Lee's immobile body.

"Well, you can't keep me here forever so you better start making some smart decisions."

"Anything will be better than this ice cold treatment you have been giving me since I came back so be my guest and throw my ass to the brig but first you listen what I've got to say. Please."

Lee looked at Kara intently and tried very hard to hide the fact that he actually was enjoying his position. If Kara knew that she would make his life unbearable.

"Fine, whatever. I'm listening but make it fast. I have things to do, like removing your flight status for the rest of your life."

Kara took a deep breath. She knew she probably would be spending the next few days in the luxury of the brig but right now she didn't care. She just wanted this to stop. She wanted her Lee back and she was willing to do anything for that to happen. Well, maybe she was not willing to lose her flight status but hey, how likely was it that Lee would actually ground her for good? He had said that he needed all his pilots. Besides, she couldn't fly a Viper for a few weeks anyway, the cylon bitch had taken care of that. So this could only be a win-win situation, right? Right?

Lee was waiting for Kara to start talking. He knew she had been hurting because of the way he had been treating her. It hadn't been that easy for him either but he had to make his point clear. Not just to Kara but to every one of his pilots. He needed to make them understand that Starbuck's actions had been unacceptable and even though she had not been placed under arrest because of the lack of pilots there would still be repercussions. And the other pilots also needed to finally realise that Lt. Thrace was not untouchable just because she was the CAG's personal friend. Lee hadn't liked to treat her that way but it had to be done to maintain his authority among the pilots. He had already planned on taking the first step in mending their friendship later that day but like always, she had beat him to it. Frankly, Lee was a little surprised that Kara had lasted this long without confronting him.

"Lee, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you or undermine your authority. I know I should have told you where I was going and why but the why part of it had me so messed up that I wasn't exactly thinking anything other than how betrayed I felt and I know even that was irrational. All I can say that it had been one hell of a day and suddenly I didn't know who to believe or trust anymore. There was that….. thing and then you and me had that ugly fight. And then we had another run-in and believe me when I tell you that I honestly thought that you already knew about the plan because Tigh as much as made me believe that you did. I thought it was something you three had thought up together. Then I was sent to see the President and she flipped my already shaky world upside down again by telling me that the man I admire more than anything had been lying to me, to everybody. Maybe, if I hadn't already felt like I had lost everything important to me by screwing up again I might have realised that the Commander only did what he had to do to keep the hope up but like I said, I wasn't actually thinking straight at that point. And I think the President could sense that so she knew she might have a chance in persuading me to do what she wanted me to do. I admit, I was mad at you for yelling at me like that. I already knew that I had made a huge mistake so the last thing I needed was you to come rubbing it to my face. I really, really didn't want you to ever find out about it but I should have known that no mistake of mine ever goes past your radar. It's like whenever I screw up you get some telepathic message of it to your head. You always knew when I was in trouble back in the Academy and bang, there you were bailing me out before I could even call you and giving me a lecture of proper behaviour for a pilot. What is that? How do you do it?"

"Hey, if I remember correctly, I was usually already with you when you decided to do something utterly stupid and since there was no way I could ever talk you out of it the least I could do was try to stick around and try to make sure you didn't get into too big of a trouble. So rest assure there is no trick and I can't read your mind, I just know the signs. What I don't understand is how you who usually have a pretty good standard could let a pompous ass like Baltar touch you?"

Kara had known Lee would want her to answer that question at some point but now was not the time to go to the why's of things. Now was the time to get them back on track in being friends. She did not want to lie to Lee when she finally answered that question, she would tell him the truth. The truth of how much she wanted him and how it scared her more than anything. The truth of how she had hoped that it was only physical attraction, that all she really needed was somebody to touch her, that anybody would do. Lords, had she been wrong. She had felt so dirty when she had opened her eyes and seen totally wrong coloured eyes staring at her, when her fantasy had faded and she felt a wrongly shaped body under her hands and all too soft hands touching her. She had fled as quickly as she could and puked her guts out. So now she was absolutely positive that it wasn't just any body she wanted, just the one she wasn't sure she could, or should, ever get. But still, she never wanted to lie to Lee again so a half truth would have to do for now.

"You know, there actually is a very good explanation for that. It has something to do with all the ambrosia I had been drinking and then I think there was a case of mistaken identities or something. You see, I think I had to have thought of him being somebody else." Kara did her best to get a light tone to her voice.

Lee looked like he didn't believe a word she said.

"Really. Who did you have in mind?"

Kara decided that although now was not the time for the truth a little teasing never hurt no one so she leaned down and whispered next to his ear: "Wouldn't you like to know."

Lee didn't know how to answer that and wasn't sure what the words had implied. Well, he liked to think they had implied something, maybe something along the lines of him never having to fear losing her again but wondering about those possibilities had to be saved for another time. Now Kara had said what she had needed to say and Lee had heard what he had needed to hear to make their relationship back the way it belonged.

"So, are you going to behave if I let you go?" Kara asked.

"I don't know, depends on what you mean by behaving."

"I mean, you're not going to go and do something idiotic like mess with my flight status, are you? Because in that case I might have to kill you and make it look like you accidentally pulled a shelf full of spare parts on top of you or something."

"So you're only threatening me if I mess with your flight status, not if I throw your ass to the brig?"

"I already told you, I don't care if you throw me to the brig. If that's what it costs to have you back then I'm willing to pay the price. But the other thing…. I mean I love you and all, but I just really, really love my Viper more. And my Raider. And maybe even a Raptor…."

"All right, all right, I get the picture how low I really am in your food chain. Now would you already let me get up before I start losing my extremities to the lack of bloodflow."

"Fine. We wouldn't want you losing any vital parts of your anatomy now would we?"

Kara let go of Lee's hands and legs and stepped off of him. Lee stayed on the floor for a while and tried to get his legs and arms to move again. Finally, with some help from Kara, he stood up. They looked at each other for a while and then like thinking with one mind stepped closer to each other and hugged. The hug didn't last long, it was more like a quick squeeze, but it was enough to assure both that everything was okay again. That life was back on track, or at least as much on track as it could be these days.

"Hey, I've missed you, you know" Lee said after picking up his clipboard from the floor.

"I've missed you too."

"So, you wanna finish my tour of snooping around storage rooms with me?"

"You do this regularly? And you're still alive, the Chief hasn't sabotaged your Viper yet? You're braver than I thought."

"I was actually scared to death when he first found me here. Then I made a strong argument of how I, as the CAG, need to know everything here in the hangar first hand and not just from the reports so he saw my reason and backed off without hesitation."

"So you pleaded and begged and he felt sorry for you."

"Absolutely. I might've even cried a little."

There was a loud burst of laughter to be heard from one of the hangar bay storage rooms and it echoed around the bay. The crew members and arriving pilots looked at each other and smiled. Everybody felt better now that Starbuck and Apollo were back in laughing terms.

Fin


End file.
